Cat sprayed (marked) Valandre Odin sleeping bag

So I hang my sleeping bags in my office so that they are stored fully lofted. I walk in yesterday to examine the bag, and lo and behold, I see a dozen or so yellow crystals near the head of the bag. To my horror, I discovered that it had been "marked" by the stray tomcat that my wife has taken in and has (had) been feeding.

I cleaned it with multi-purpose cleaner at first, but it was the vinegar that I used after that, that dissolved the urine crystals, then, and this is the reason for the post, I used a product called MIRAZYME that I picked up at the OR Show. I had heard that it eliminates odors, but did not believe it until I tried it on this. After cleaning the area and wiping it down with this Mirazyme, there is NO scent whatsoever, thank goodness!

I have heard horror stories about cat pee and its long lasting odor, but thankfully this product apparently did what it claimed to do...totally eliminate the odor.

I mentioned this to VG last evening when he called me as I have had several incidents of animals marking my gear with urine. I told him what I do and it has worked very well for decades, then, I told him of just cleaning an item peed on by my boy Rottweiler, who marks Daddy's gear room and contents as he needs to demonstrate that I belong to him. I love dogs and cats and this does not bother me much as I have no difficulty cleaning it off.

Mirazyme is a concentrate that one dissolves in water and leaves in the gear item, down bags included, to keep them fresh and pristine. I use a 4" tube in about 12-15 gallons of water in my utility bathroom tub to clean bags and everything else, works very well and I just airdry whatever.

The cat simply wanted to claim VG's house as his, poor homeless little person in a fur suit.

You can check it out at McNett.com. It is a concentrated liquid, so you dilute it.

I am so disgusted with what happened as I take really good care of my equipment. Fortunately, I cannot smell anything on it. I found out tonight that he marked the INSIDE in a spot as well! Yuck!!!! I cleaned that up carefully too and I think that it will be okay.

I did find out that you can use a black light to spot the cat urine in a dark room. It glows when hit with a black light.

When I lived in my tipi I had mouse and rodent urine pretty much everywhere. You learn to live with it and eventually regard it as a muscle toner and mellowing agent. Field melatonin. Of course I always had an ample supply of mouse hides stretched and curing. It's possible to make a mouse fur parka with around 800 hides.**

I don't believe it's possible to have cats indoors and be a bonafide backpacker. You will not only have sprayed urine and claw marks on eVent shells but pinholed Thermarests. (Hopefully none of this sprayed urine is your own). Animals are meant to live outdoors. Humans are also meant to live outdoors. So we're always planning our next trip. All this commentary is in jest. Just keep your gear in a closed room with the door locked. Does the cat have access to a key?

** In fact the Paiute Indians used rolled rabbit hides for their winter clothing.

I have 2 cats. Both female, both fixed. They do like to claw stuff. Bella is a window licker and I think I have turned Jynx into a gear head.

(Hangin with Scarpa.)

Anywho, I hang my packs & bags and most of my other "soft gear."

They can't do much to a stove, etc so no worries there. Tents I keep loosely placed in large Rubbermaid tubs with a thin cotton cover to let them breathe so no problems there.

Like you both my cats are fixed. jynx reminds me of my cat buddy. He loves the smell of nylon. He did claw my WM bag no damage but it and others now stay hung in the laundry room. Moved everything to containers and hang my pack.

I saw once that cat urine will make nylon (down jacket material) kind of dissolve or get really brittle and crumbly. I discovered an old cat marking that didn't get caught immediately and had naturally dried and sat for a while. Anyone else ever see this effect?

So I hang my sleeping bags in my office so that they are stored fully lofted. I walk in yesterday to examine the bag, and lo and behold, I see a dozen or so yellow crystals near the head of the bag. To my horror, I discovered that it had been "marked" by the stray tomcat that my wife has taken in and has (had) been feeding.

I cleaned it with multi-purpose cleaner at first, but it was the vinegar that I used after that, that dissolved the urine crystals, then, and this is the reason for the post, I used a product called MIRAZYME that I picked up at the OR Show. I had heard that it eliminates odors, but did not believe it until I tried it on this. After cleaning the area and wiping it down with this Mirazyme, there is NO scent whatsoever, thank goodness!

I have heard horror stories about cat pee and its long lasting odor, but thankfully this product apparently did what it claimed to do...totally eliminate the odor.

viliguy,

I don't know what kind of bag you have or what the shell is. If there is any chance that any of the urine got thru the shell and into the bag then I would as quick as possible take the bag in to have cleaned (properly) or get one of the fine products out there and clean the bag paying very close attention to the affected area. Cat urine is very, very, high in uric acid and will destroy certian materials, and impossible to get out of other materials. It does not take long for the damage to start. Cat urine is much stronger smelling and much more damaging than human or dog urine. They even make a special paint/sealer to cover cement when a cat pees on it. Once that happens you cannot get it out and have to seal it. I would not even question the fact that the urine got into the the bag as even if a bag is 100% waterproof it is not necessarly 100% cat pee proof. Uric acid could very well have penetrated the shell and you very well might not be able to smell it thru the shell. I know I would not take the chance.

Any animal that pees or poops in my house is hence forth considered a outdoor animal unless there good reason for it such as the door was closed to the cat box, the animal is sick, the pet gets locked in the house. Just as my brother is not allowed to come and visit my house and start peeing in the corner neither are any of my animals allowed to pee in the corner. I learned a long time ago to never have a indoor male cat that has not been fixed. They tend to mark anything and everything.

Fromsagetosnow siad:

"I saw once that cat urine will make nylon (down jacket material) kind of dissolve or get really brittle and crumbly. I discovered an old cat marking that didn't get caught immediately and had naturally dried and sat for a while. Anyone else ever see this effect?"

Yes, I myself have had this happen and have lost a number of items due cat's thinking that any part of my house was there little box and or their territory to be marked. Unless down items are clened right away they are done and yes the uric acid will destroy some materials.